Raise your hands if you saw this coming....

Re: Common Table.

KTVZ has an article about some of the neighbors of Common Table being unhappy.

Leaving aside the merits of the idea. (Like I'm going to come out against feeding the poor....) This seemed predictable from the very start. I know when I first heard the idea, I sort of wondered -- hmmmm, how is that going to work?

It doesn't seem like all that long ago that the city was exploring ideas of ways to discourage loitering downtown.

Instead, we decided to offer free meals.

Again, without being against the idea of feeding the down and out, I have some questions.

Is there an actual need for a gourmet soup kitchen? A four star fine dining experience for the hungry?

What exactly is being accomplished?

Not that there is anything wrong with it.

I think the title of the restaurant tells us that it's meant as a meeting place for the average citizen, the well-heeled citizen, and the temporarily disconvenienced, and the permanently down and out? Fair enough.

Not that there is anything wrong with it....

The other possibility is that it's meant to be a way to earn enough money to pay for the free meals. Though I have to wonder if -- by the time you subtract the cost of goods and the overhead -- they wouldn't do just as well with donations.

Finally, (again I am not against the idea of feeding people who are down on their luck), I do question the mingling of for-profit and for-charity in the same businesses.

As people who read this blog know, I don't like the idea of for-profit businesses being subsidized. Or of charity businesses attempting to earn profits. (By this, I mean employees being paid beyond what they would be paid in real life -- Blue Cross executives being paid millions, for instance.)

Overall, it just seems like a strange concept. A way to do-good in a congenial setting?

Not that there is anything wrong with it

I've talked to two business owners who are REALLY unhappy with what's been happening in and around the building and who are planning to leave -- the story mentions a third business who has already left.

Anyway, it's possible the landlords will find enough businesses to fill the spaces around Common Table, and no harm will be done. Or it's possible that the place will empty out.

In that sense, the marketplace will decide.

I'll just leave with the comment: there is a time and place for everything.


Based on the comments over on KTVZ -- let the tar and feathering commence.

It's not ALWAYS about the customer...

The Bulletin editorializes today that lowering the transaction fees was probably not going to be passed on to the consumer. Therefore -- I guess -- the banks should keep them? Because they've shown such a tendency lately to pass on savings?

Besides being totally illogical and reliably conservative and establishmentarian, this whole thought process totally whiffed the point.

So the retailers won't pass along the savings?

I never thought they would. Call me callow, but it never occurred to me. I always figured it was about banks overcharging the retailers, not the consumer. Just to be clear, these were not charges to the consumer, they were charges to the retailers.

Forgive me for saying so, but it isn't ALWAYS about the consumer.

I hate to tell you, but sometimes when I make money, or save money, I actually keep it.

Shocking, I know.

It's a system I've heard tell is called "Capitalism." You know, where a guy going to work every day actually earns a profit by -- gasp, charging the consumer.

So there you have it -- a 'real' conservative viewpoint.

If I may, I'll turn this around to illustrate.

I never once thought to raise my prices no matter how high the fees got. I never once asked someone to use a debit instead of a credit card or vice versa. I never once turned down a credit card because someone didn't buy enough with it, or put a minimum. (I did mutter a few times that the cost of the transaction nullified the profit -- and a few times I actually gave the person the item in question, because it was a wash...)

It was the "Cost Of Doing Business." I just accepted it, and didn't try to weasel more money out of the customer.

It never occurred to me.

I ate the costs, and moved on.

As far as I'm concerned, "Cost of Doing Business" went down very, very, very slightly.

Big deal.

Meanwhile, the banks lost their first battle. Of course, it was the first time their opponent was Walmart.

That's how much I love the banks, theseadays. I'm rooting for Walmart over them.

Pirate banks.

I had assumed the banks would win on the debit cards fees issue. But they needed 60 votes and they got 54 votes. Still -- bastards.

Even all the combined retail lobbies (you know, including the largest corporation in the world, Walmart and all the big retailers and all the supposed voters represented by the sainted small business class that the Republicans and Democrats alike profess to care so much about) could barely overcome the resistance of the pirate banks.

We are still so doomed.

**********

I've had a few days to think about Wabi Sabi and Powell's -- and I'm still envious.

They are carrying many items I wish I could carry.

Ultimately, however, I chose to go the route of printed material. My art books alone would probably be equal in value to all the urban vinyl in Wabi Sabi.

Candy and gag toys? I just don't trust myself not to eat the profits -- but really, I just don't have the room.

The only other option would be to have a store more the size of the old Boomtown, and I shudder to think how much work and overhead that would be.

So...don't mess with what's working, I tell myself. (At the same time, there is something reassuring about the idea that there are still viable things to carry if what I'm currently carrying fall apart -- )

**********

I'd probably get tarred and feathered if I mentioned this on any of the comic book industry bulletin boards but....

There is another highly regarded comic shop in another state that is apparently in real trouble. This is the kind of shop that is always nominated for awards. They are held up as examples of how comic shops should be. And very often, they seem to go out of business.

But I have to wonder if there is a direct correlation between their struggling to survive and their ambition.

It's all well and good to have a great looking store, stocked to the gills, with all kinds of social events etc. etc.

But you still have to live within your means.

I often have the urge to try to create my perfect store -- but it would be very costly, and ultimately, I'm not sure I would get enough business to reward my efforts. No matter how nice the store.

I even have an example in my own career.

Our store for the first year in Sisters was a tiny little 100 square foot space, and it did really well.

We rented the space next door, opened up and painted and repaired both rooms, bought new fixtures, and filled the tripled space with merchandise.

And our sales dropped.

I wonder sometimes if people realize that the size and shape of a store is dictated by the size and shape of the customer base -- not on the ambition and tastes of the owner.

Shop Local -- or not. But try.

I think it's a mistake to be too ideological about the Shop Local movement.

As I've matured in my business, I've tried very hard to be calmer about customer reactions to my business. I try to take things in stride.

I wish that people could see the wisdom of buying locally. But I couch it a little differently. Shop locally whenever you can.

I was talking to a dealer from another town, and his anger at the current game customers and their lack of loyalty to his business felt very familiar -- in fact, I'd say his mindset was my mindset circa 1997 toward sports card customers.

It didn't do me any good. My reactions pissed off a lot of people.

Like this dealer, I knew at the time it was a mistake, but I couldn't help myself.


I still have a residual anger there that can surface under the wrong circumstances -- so I try really hard to be aware of that and avoid it.


Anyway, while I appreciate the Shop Local movement, I don't expect it to totally change the shopping behavior of the modern American. I mean, I want and wish and hope locals would shop locally, but I don't --demand it.

Mostly because I have my own shopping behavior to look at.

I buy my CD's from Ranch Records, on purpose. If I was buying new books from a bookstore, I'd buy from the local bookstores. (I can buy my books from the wholesale distributor.) I might have to wait a day or two or a week for the order to show up, but there isn't a book that I'm not will to wait a day or two or a week to get.

I buy my gardening supplies locally.

That's just about all I purchase. I'm just not much of a consumer.

Food and clothing?

Here's where I fall off the wagon. I have pretty simple tastes -- 501 Levi's, t-shirts, button down shirts, dockers type pants, that kind of thing.

So I buy from Fred Meyer, or places like that.

I just don't care about brand names, and am not willing to pay extra to get brand names. Except for shoes -- those I try to buy from Birkenstock, because they seem to last so much longer and feel so much better.

Anyway, my point is -- buy locally when you can. Be conscious of your choices. Whenever possible and convenient buy locally, even if it costs you slighter more.

I used to tell my card customers -- "I'm not telling you not to save money. I'm not telling you to spend every dime here. But I am asking that you buy from me when there isn't much difference. That you remember me. If I were to get half of your spending dollars, I'm a viable sports card shop."

In that case, it didn't make any difference. I learned that if you have to explain, it's too late.

Shop Locally whenever you can. Try a little harder to remember that these are your neighbors.
Really, in the long run, it won't matter if you spend just slightly more; and you may get more bang for your buck in service and knowledge and selection.

Or just in the personal smile you may get back, because that five dollar bill you just handed the guy behind the counter will be his -- and not some behemoth back east.

A sobering experience.

Whenever I go to Barnes and Noble, I come out thinking -- why do I even try? Why do I bother!

They have SO many books! Good books! Wow!

So I don't go to B & N very often, because I don't need to be dispirited.

Thing is, I carry a certain number of books, and I pick as good of books as I can, and people walk into my store occasionally and buy them. It really doesn't matter what B & N does.



So, today, I had the afternoon off, so I visited a few stores downtown.

First I went to Game Domain, because I had finally met the owner, Casey, and had a talk with him in my store. Turns out, we've had many similar experiences. We were both carrying sports cards at the same time, when he had a store in Redmond, through the nineties and the aughts.

So I went to visit his store, and we had another long talk. His store was exactly what it should be and he had TONS and TONS of magic cards, and packs, and sets and every other kind magic thing. Other than turning my store into a Magic the Gathering type store, I'm never going to come close to that.

But -- like above, I have people come in off the street and occasionally they buy what magic I have and that's all that matters.

I also explored Wabi Sabi for the first time. What a cool store! They had lots of urban vinyl and other cool things I wish I could carry. The level of inventory just wowed me. My brain turns into an adding machine going, ching, ching, ching, and I'm just flabbergasted.

Then dropped into Powell's Candy.

Again, lots of cool stuff and in both stores the atmosphere was prosperous and fun and I was very envious. Ching, ching, ching.

Thing is, both stores reflect a kind of investment that I don't think I can do. Well, maybe I have done, but I've taken a long time to get there and it's mostly bound up in bound up material, so to speak. They seem way more capitalized than I ever was; but I come from an era when downtown was downtrodden, and rents were cheap, and there were lots of shoe-string startups.
I'm envious, but bless them and more power to them.

One thing I noticed is that other stores tend to buy quantities of each product, whereas more often than not I try to buy just one unit. This comes from buying from my comic distributor, who because comics are sold in single low-cost units, often offers the same feature for toys, games, etc. (Not always, and not all at once, but if I hang back and pick stuff up opportunistically.)

Having batches of the same type of product gives a thematic unity to their displays that I'm often missing.

I know, in my head, that I probably have as much material as these other stores, but it's mostly in books -- graphic novel and otherwise -- that are mostly spine out. (I've estimated I could fill a store ten times my current size and not look skimpy.)

My investment is in reading material, or boxed games,-- and everything else is ancillary.

But I tell you what, I don't think my store is any more packed (overwhelming) than either of those two stores, so I think I'll quit worrying about that.

As far as the looks. I would need to clear out my store and completely renovate to compete with the feel of either store (new fixtures, flooring, walls) -- and who knows, maybe I'll be able to do that someday. But meanwhile, I've been ensconced there for 30 years, and I just make the best I can of the space.

I do what I do. I sell what I sell. Who knows, maybe they have the same reaction when they come into my store...

But it is very sobering to see how well put together some of the downtown stores are.

Lady Liberty turns her back.

Linda had a dream last night where the Statue of Liberty had turned her back on New York.

Well, I think technically, she already is turned outward, to welcome the immigrants. But I love the image, and I feel the metaphor. And it works the other way -- turning her back on

" your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

There is a new book out about the building of the transcontinental railroad that flays the corrupt and mean-spirited men who got rich off the government subsidies. Here's the crux of the mystery:

"...how so many powerful and influential people are so ignorant and do so many things so badly and how the world still goes on." RAILROADED; Richard White.

Sound familiar?

Out training the lawn.

Hope you all had an exciting weekend. Movies, Music, running in a race, climbing cliffs? Stuff like that?

Hah. I was out training my lawn. (Otherwise known as mowing the lawn.) I had new lawns put in last year, and I let them get pretty lush before I mowed them the first time. The grass sort of just laid down.

I was forced to mow at a higher height, which seemed to get the lawn even floppier.

But I wanted strong roots, so I put up with the little rows of half cut grass.

This year I was determined to get the lawn tamed. I've been mowing at the next lowest height, and after the first couple of times, it's gotten easier.

So the lawn is being trained.

Exciting, no?

Launch your Business.

The Launch Your Business series that the Bulletin will be doing, following 11 startups who took the L.Y.B. class up at C.O.C.C., should be interesting.

Far be it for me to be nitpicky. But there was one statement in the first article that seemed dubious to me: "More than 80% of businesses fail in the first 2 years."

Now the figure I've always heard, is 50% of new businesses fail in the first two years. Even that, I've always kind of doubted based on my observations.

Most businesses seem to last two years.

Now -- five years out? That's another story. I could believe that 50% figure at 5 years; 80% at 7 years.

I wonder if these stats are urban myth.

As to why they last 2 years? I think there is enough hope and enthusiasm usually to overcome the first few hurdles. They usually haven't built up enough debt quite yet.

So both money and enthusiasm are a little stronger at first. It probably takes a few months to a year for most new businesses to start to have the suspicion that it may not work quite the way they hoped.

**********


O.K. So the second article has come out.

I wasn't going to comment -- because I don't want to "Stomp on their Dreams" as a friend so elegantly put it.

For one thing, from the outside I can't gauge the motivation levels of the owners -- which is probably the most important factor of all, if more than a little intangible.

But I couldn't help noticing that almost all the new businesses have a environmental/social slant.

I guess this is fine, but I wonder if putting those concerns so front and center is wise. Yes, have a socially conscious business but first make your business work; make money, then make good.

Anyway, I wonder what it means. If it was something easily done, then one would think existing businesses would be doing it. So I suspect there is extra cost and effort and a diversion to adding social concerns to a business plan.

Either that, or it's a promotional appeal. Which, as I've mentioned many many times on this blog, often puts the cart before the horse. I have my doubts that appealing to the public on environment or social levels to buy from you can be anything but extra to your basic plan of actually selling them something they need and want.

A graph of Bend's economy.

The story arc of the Great Recession.

A. The sky is falling, we're doomed, man. At this phase I was having customers coming in, asking solicitously, "How are you doing? Are you going to make it?"

(I'd say about 95% of the news was negative.)

B. Yes, things are bad, but they have stabilized. The world isn't ending.

C. Hey, I see a ray of light. Look! Oh, never mind. It was a false dawn.

D. Oh, I think this is really a new dawn. Look! O.K. Maybe it's a little cloudy still, but life goes on!

(At this point, I'd say about 50% of the news was negative.)

E. Oops, a bit of a fall back. But don't worry. Things are getting steadily better!

F. Look this stat is up. So is this one! (Never mind those negative stats over there.)

(At this point, I'd say maybe 20% of the news was negative.

G. Nothing but positive stories, with the occasional buried bad news.

I could go on, but my point is this. As far as I can tell the following graph is the real state of the Bend economy since the crash.

Pay attention.


_________--------------____--______---_____-----

Something like that.

Blind to the Conflict of Interest.

So it's O.K. to have a subsidized cafe in government offices, because it's convenient to the people in those government offices?

Ummmm.

Let them plan ahead a little and buy their coffee and donuts from a store who IS paying rent, just like the rest of us.

If a cafe isn't viable if it has to pay rent, then it isn't viable.

But, hey. As long as you're at it. My customers would love to have a much bigger store and more selection, a few extra employees, maybe some extra space to sit and read.

It would be very convenient for them.

Could I have free rent, too?


**********

An Open Letter to Bend Regal Cinemas

Please find room in one of your 3-D theaters for Cave of Forgotten Dreams.

I've been looking forward to this movie since I first read about it.

However, 3-D seems to be a crucial part of the experience.

You know that fellow Roger Ebert? He doesn't much like 3-D generally. But here's what he has to say about this movie:

"It was shown with bright, well-focused digital projection." "...he never allows his images to enter the film' space, instead of way for it to enter ours. He was correct to realize how useful it would be in photographing those walls. To the degree that it's possible for us to walk behind Herzog into that cave, we do so."

I won't be going to the 2-D version of this movie.

Downtown Comings and Goings: 6/4/11

It looks like Perspectives is gone. Also across the street from us on Minnesota, the Smith and Wade salon has vacated.

Meanwhile, another established business is moving, with Bond St. Market moving 2 blocks south and across the street on Bond, to the River Bend Gallery space...

By my count, since Fall, 2008 -- (2.5 years):

78 new businesses.
70 leaving businesses.

NEW BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN

Bend Yogurt Factory, Franklin/Bond, 4/26/11.
High Desert Lotus, Bond St. , 4/4/11.
Tryst, Franklin Ave., 3/11/11. (Formerly Maryjanes, **Moved**).
D'Vine, Wall St. , 2/9/11.
Let it Ride!, Bond St., 1/29/11.
Gatsby's Brasserie Bar, Minnesota Ave., 1/8/11
Tres Jolie, Wall St., 12/20/10.
Caldera Grill, Bond St., 12/7/10
Bond Street Grill, 12/7/10.
Perspective(s), Minnesota Ave., 11/20/10
Toth Art Collective, Bond St. 11/20/10
Boken, Breezeway, 11/20/10
Dalia and Emilia, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Antiquarian Books, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Giddyup, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/10.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Ave., 8/11/10,
Red Chair Art Gallery, Oregon Ave. 7/13/10.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 7/12/10.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 6/2910
Common Table, Oregon Ave. , 6/29/10.
Looney Bean Coffee, Brooks St. , 6/29/10.
Bourbon Street, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
Feather's Edge, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
The BLVD., Wall St. , 6/13/10.
Volt, Minnesota Ave. 6/1/10.
Tart, Minnesota Ave. , 5/13/10
Olivia Hunter, Wall St. 4/5/10.
Tres Chic, Bond St. 4/5/10
Blue Star Salon, Wall St. 4/1/10.
Lululemon, Bond St. 3/31/10.
Diana's Jewel Box, Minnesota Ave., 3/25/10.
Amalia's, Wall St. (Ciao Mambo space), 3/12/10
River Bend Fine Art, Bond St. (Kebanu space) 2/23/10
Federal Express, Oregon Ave. 2/1/10
***10 Below, Minnesota Ave. 1/10/10
Tew Boots Gallery, Bond St. 1/8/10.
Top Leaf Mate, 12/10/09
Laughing Girls Studio, Minnesota Ave. 12/7/09
Lemon Drop, 5 Minnesota Ave., 11/12/09
The Curiosity Shoppe, 25 N.W. Minnesota Ave, Suite #7. 11/5/09
Wabi Sabi 11/4/09 (**Moved, Wall St.**)
Frugal Boutique 11/4/09
5 Spice 10/22/09
Cowgirls Cash 10/17/09
***Haven Home 10/17/09
Dog Patch 10/17/09
The Good Drop 10/12/09
Lola's 9/23/09
**Volcano Wines 9/15/09
Singing Sparrow Flowers 8/16/09
Northwest Home Interiors 8/5/09
High Desert Frameworks 7/23/09 (*Moved to Oregon Ave. 4/5/10.)
Wall Street Gifts 7/--/09
Ina Louise 7/14/09
Bend Home Hardware (Homestyle Hardware?) 7/1/09
Altera Real Estate 6/9/09
Honey 6/7/09
Azura Studio 6/7/09
Mary Jane's 6/1/09
c.c.McKenzie 6/1/09
Velvet 5/28/09
Bella Moda 3/25/09
High Desert Gallery (Bend) 3/25/09
Joolz
Zydeco
900 Wall
Great Outdoor Store
Luxe Home Interiors
Powell's Candy
Dudley's Used Books and Coffee
Goldsmith
Game Domain
Subway Sandwiches
Bend Burger Company
Showcase Hats
Pita Pit
Happy Nails
(Fall, 2008 or so).

BUSINESSES LEAVING

Smith and Wade Salon, Minnesota, Av. , 6/3/11.
Perspectives, Minnesota Av., 6/1/11
River Bend Art Gallery, Bond St., 5/5/11.
Donner's Flowers, Wall St. 3/11/11. (**Moved out of downtown**)
Maryjanes, Wall St. , 3/11/11. (new name, Tryst, moved to Franklin.).
Di Lusso, Franklin/Bond, 2/9/11.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 1/2/11
Marz Bistro, Minnesota Av., 12/20/10.
The Decoy, Bond St., 12/7/10.
Giuseppe's, Bond St., 12/1/10.
Ina Louise, Minnesota Ave., 11/3/10.
Laughing Girl Studios, 10/21/10
Dolce Vita, Bond St, 10/21/10
Diana's Jewell Box, Minnesota Ave., 10/15/10.
Lola's, Breezeway, 10/8/10.
Oxygen Tattoo, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Great Outdoor Clothing, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Volcano Vineyards, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
Subway Sandwiches, Bond St. 9/2/10.
Old Bend Distillery, Brooks St., 6/19/10.
Staccato, Minnesota Ave. 6/18/10.
Showcase Hats, Minnesota Ave., 6/1/10 (Moved to Oregon Ave., 8/10/11.)
Cork, Oregon Ave., 5/27/10.
Wall Street Gifts, 5/26/10
Microsphere, Wall St. , 5/17/10.
Singing Sparrow, Franklin and Bond, 5/15/10
28, Minnesota Ave. and Bond, 5/13/10.
Glass Symphony, Wall St., 3/25/10
Bend Home Hardware, Minnesota Ave, 2/25/10
Ciao Mambo, Wall St. 2/4/10
***Angel Kisses 1/25/10 (Have moved to 'Honey.')
Ivy Rose Manor 8/20/09
***Downtowner 8/18/09 (moving into the Summit location)
Chocolate e Gateaux 8/16/09
Finders Keepers 8/15/09
Colourstone 7/25/09
Periwinkle 6/--/09
***Tangerine 7/21/09 (Got word, they are moving across the street.)
Micheal Cassidy Gallery 6/15/09
St. Claire Coffee 6/15/09
Luxe Home Interiors 6/4/09
Treefort 5/8/09
Blue 5/2/09
***Volcano Tasting Room 4/28/09** Moved to Minnesota Ave.
Habit 4/16/09
Mountain Comfort 4/14/09
Tetherow Property 4/11/09
Blue Moon Marketplace 3/25/09
Plenty 3/25/09
Downtown Doggie 3/25/09
***King of Sole (became Mary Janes)**
Santee Alley
Bistro Corlise
Made in Hawaii
EnVogue
Stewart Weinmann (leather)
Kebanu Gallery
Pella Doors and Windows
Olive company
Pink Frog
Little Italy
Deep
Merenda's
Volo
***Pomegranate (downtown branch)**
Norwalk
Pronghorn Real Estate office.
Speedshop Deli
Paper Place
Bluefish Bistro
(Fall, 2008 or so.)

A Tipping Point?

Is this a Tipping Point for comics? Either tipping upward, or tipping downward?

Why are all these new endeavors happening now?

Pretty clearly, the huge success of the movies and superhero ubiquity in the modern pop culture has completely warped everyone's view.

Do I think these ventures are going to work?

First the positive, then the negative.


A little background.

Comics don't sell well. They have been declining with every decade of their existence. Which is why us little comic shops can exist, because the money just hasn't been there for the mass market. The mass market threw comics out; we picked them up.

Up until a few years ago, there was joke that the DC comics division of Warners would do everything they could to fly under the radar of the Warner muckymucks.

Until recently, DC could be the Research and Development arm of Warners.

However, recently, things have changed dramatically. Marvel was purchased by Disney. DC was brought under the umbrella of the Warners media division.

Marvel didn't make most of the money off of the X-Men or Spider-man because they sold those rights (for a pittance) long ago. They were just emerging from bankruptcy when the first Spider-man movie came out.

Iron Man and Thor and Captain America and Thor were all considered secondary characters -- and gambles as a movies, but Marvel has managed to pull it off. (With a few misfires -- Daredevil, Elecktra, etc.)

Superhero movies have performed monumentally.

But comic SALES even on these big titles haven't budged. No one quite knows why.

I'll be willing to bet that in boardrooms of Disney and Warners, they are asking the question.
With steely voices and grim faces. Why are we making hundreds of millions of dollars on movies, and you can't sell 80,000 copies of the same comic? Huh, huh?

Personally, I don't think it's anyone's fault. Comics are a hard sell in this modern world.

So -- given that.

It's at least possible that constant exposure to actual comics, in B & N and online and in direct comic shops will increase readership. It is at least possible that enough publicity, done in a timely manner, may grab some curious customers.

I think it would take a long term commitment -- millions upon millions spent on advertising (which up to now, they have not been willing to do). Millions upon millions gambled on mass market efforts. Millions upon millions spent on digital efforts.

At the same time, knowing that they might actually be destroying the actual existing market. Comic shops aren't huge moneymakers. Many of them can't stand too much strain.

I can kind of understand why the Big Boys are doing it. My DC comic sales are pretty small, really. What have they got to lose?

You know what? Superman and Batman and Spider-man and Hulk and all the rest DON'T need comics. They are iconic. They will exist forever in the imagination.

So, I'm sure the thinking is -- nows the time. Fill the airways, fill the shopping channels. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!


Now the negative.

I don't think they'll be able to break through the resistance of the public -- who have a strong bias against or a total misunderstanding of what comics are, how they exist nowadays. The really interesting comics, the cutting edge, are NOT the superhero comics.

Superhero comics are been floating around for a long time now.

I always joke that I could grab a 100 random people off the street, hand them a comic, and 90% will end up in the first garbage receptacle they find. That's if they are free. I could have a one on one session with customers who actually express mild curiosity about comics -- and use every sales trick I know, show them every comic and explain what they are about; and -- I probably wouldn't create a single ongoing comic reader.

How can it be that I haven't sold a single Thor comic to a new customer? The best explanation I've heard is someone used the example of a Western movie -- is my first response after coming out of The Unforgiven to go look for a western novel? Probably not.

So comic customers come in my door already primed to buy a comic. Simple as that.

I know this, because over the last 30 years I've had thousands of customers express mild interest and haven't turned more than a handful into regular readers.

I could fill an auditorium of people off the street, play them the best Opera I know, explain to them about Opera, and -- how many Opera fans would I create?

Readers come from brothers and parents and best friends, and happenstance and accident and quirks of fate.

But the perception is that these movies are creating masses of new readers. There is an easy way to expose the fallaciousness of this -- I simply ask to the person saying it, "Oh. Are you going to buy a Thor comic, then? (or a Green Lantern, or and X-Men, whatever...?) And the answer is always -- No.

So I ask all of you who aren't currently reading comics. Are you more likely to buy a comic now? Really?

So. The danger is that they will take what is a relatively weak market and destroy it trying to create a bigger market.

This could be a Heroes World moment: A near death experience:

Comics experienced a huge speculative bubble in the early nineties, which like all bubbles (we all know about bubbles, nowadays) collapsed.

Marvel freaked, decided it was the fault of wholesalers and retailers, and decided to market their comics to retailer through their own distributor.

Suddenly, the entire system was missing half of the comics they used to sell. It more or less collapsed.

At the end of the wreckage, there were one third as many comic shops, only one national distributor (Marvel proved to be hopelessly inept and went bankrupt-- another reason I think that 'New' distribution schemes may not work...) and sales just barely -- barely --- enough to keep what was left afloat.

We have never really completely recovered from that. We are like polio sufferers who survived, but have spindly legs t0 get us around. Now -- we are being asked to run a marathon.

I don't think it will take much stress or strain for it to all come tumbling down.

Me? I long ago decided to diversify, diversify. I sell books, new and used; comics, new and used; graphic novels; toys; sports cards; non-sportscards; t-shirts, buttons, posters; boardgames; role--playing games; customizable card games; anime; used dvd's; and so on and so on.

Because I have learned that those above me on the food chain are inclined to do very stupid things....

More info and tad bit of relief.

Same day digital release and 52 new #1'2.

With all these kinds of announcements, I've learned it's best not to jump to too many conclusions. Otherwise, I'd be having a nervous breakdown every other day.

My compatriot over in Roseburg, Brett from Heroes Haven, had the best comment: As long as we keep getting a shipment of new comics to sell every Wednesday, not that much will change.

I used that line on several customers; otherwise I shrugged. (Interestingly, just about every customer had heard about the news...)

So -- later in the afternoon -- further news was released, which will ameliorate most short term problems. The digital price will be the same as the regular price. They will be giving us steep discounts on a few of the more significant titles, and returnability (-10%) on most of the rest of the titles. (A host of variant covers, but I expected that.)

So, knowing this, I'll probably order considerably more than usual.

And, hey, how often do you get a chance to buy a #1 Batman or Superman or Wonderwoman?

I'm hoping a bunch of people will give these new starts a shot.

The other news is that they aren't complete reboots --which was concerning to many current readers.

So, I'm going to try to see this as a positive.

As far as the long term viability of the process and the long term effects of digital -- well, the long term is always a bit dodgy and doubtful, you know?

**********

Meanwhile, someone who works at Barnes and Noble and knows comic books, had a few more details on their new comic program. Something like 10 each of 60 different titles.

Ummm.....that's utterly ridiculous. If they sell more than 10% of that, I'd be amazed. That is a HUGE number of comics for a town like Bend, and presumably other similar sized population areas.

Good luck with that.

Only question I have about that -- who eats the vast majority of comic returns? B & N or the comic companies? Either way, I don't see that as sustainable....

I think B & N is about to get a huge surprise.....

(My friend Paul pointed out --- "Isn't it interesting that the B & N program is starting at about the same time as the DC initiative? ummmm?" I hadn't thought of that -- especially with the returnability aspect.)

Even if B & N tries to fine tune their orders -- you know, 10 of that, 3 of that, 12 of that, the comics change so frequently and often that it would require a full-time staff person in each individual store to keep up. You know, someone like me.

Just one more thing.

So DC has announced that they are starting all their titles over at #1's in September; and releasing the same titles online on the same day.

This probably doesn't mean much to most of you, but it's a huge deal for the comic industry.

My inclination, however, is to downplay it's significance. It's a huge promotional thing, but I'm going to shrug, instead.

I'll transfer my current comic subscribers to whatever titles are analogous; Flash for Flash, Wonder Woman for Wonder Woman. Simple enough. If the writers/artists impress me -- I'll order some extra copies.

A few titles I may try to spread out --optional buys, I call them -- on shelves who aren't signed up. Such as Jim Lee's (major artist) Justice League of America.

New titles, like the announced Mr. Terrific, I'll treat like I would any new DC titles -- a few shelf titles. Older, but defunct titles, like Captain Atom, Firestorm, Hawkman and Aquaman, I'll order based on their past histories -- which ain't good, because they are defunct afterall.

Still -- almost inevitably, I will have to risk a fair amount on extra orders. For one thing, there are only 30 current superhero titles coming out of DC, and they have announced 52 new ones.

Secondly, I almost always order extra #1's and 2's.

So it is going to be gamble for me and every other retailer out there.

DC is going to see a pretty big boost for a few months ---which is probably what they want. After that, it will depend on execution. I'm trying to imagine how they are going to come up with enough talent to do that many new series.

The same day digital release? I can't do anything about that.

But...in a way, it's just business as usual.

My comment to my employees was -- hey, the comic market has never been stable. It's always like this.

This is just one more thing.

Tuesday tings.

"Cellphones carry potential cancer risk," Bulletin. 6/1/11.

Ah, ha! I knew it! Stephen King had it right, only this will be in slow motion. Someday I'll be walking around the streets and be the only guy without a big bulge in his head. I'll be dodging zombies, man.

I've also heard that Kindles cause blindness....

**********

"Still-falling housing prices may be near the bottom."

I wish I had kept track of the number of times I've seen the words "near the bottom" for housing in the last four years...

I remember telling people to wait, 4 years ago. 3 years ago. 2 years ago.

People went ahead and bought.

**********

DC Comics is starting their entire line over at #1. 52 NEW titles. Also same day release digitally.

There are so many ramifications to this, that I'm going to reserve judgement.

Other than going to the store today to order more games, cards and novels....

**********

"More Americans buying pricier wines..."

Had a wine merchant in not long ago, and he said most people who are buying pricier wines don't know what they're buying. That many cheaper wines are just as good or better. He mentioned Spanish wines, I believe.

I'll always remember the comment -- after the first drink or two, no one can tell the difference anymore...

**********

My store showed up in the On the Road feature on my wholesalers website. I don't think the pictures look very good, frankly. I'm just going to let them go without comment, otherwise.

**********

I've been stalled trying to work on my garden all day yesterday. I'm hoping this afternoon will clear up. The dirtload is wet, though. Thus twice as heavy....

Plant lust. .

Yesterday, I went to Landsystem's nursery with the intent of buying some deer resistant flowers for the front yard.

I have tended for some reason to concentrate on the backyard when it comes to flowers, letting the low maintenance shrubbery and trees take care of the front yard. But quite a bit of space has been cleared in the construction of the front steps and porch and in installing a new yard and sprinkler system.

So this year I decided I would like to add a little color.

I intended to buy annuals along the driveway, for color, but decided instead on blue and pink forget-me-nots ( a perennial). Even though I love the immediate color of petunias and geraniums -- I just can't see spending money on one-ups....

So I started loading up on colorful perennials. (I'd intended to buy plants in stages over the season, so that I didn't have all early spring blooming plants, but that sort of went out the window.)

Plant greed. Pure and simple plant lust.

I had a budget in mind when I went -- about 200.00 for the whole garden. I'm embarrassed to say how much I actually spent. I bought some boxwood shrubs for the back, which we really need to frame the patio, and those were expensive. I decided I needed a load of compost and topsoil.

But really, it was the flowers. I went crazy.

But you know what? People spend thousands -- tens of thousands --on home improvement projects. And this, to me, is the same thing. Only I save about 2/3rds of the cost by doing all the labor myself.

Besides, I think this will probably do me for the next ten or twenty years. A few new plants here and there. Otherwise, I'll probably just subdivide and transplant.

Unless I go near a nursery again.

I don't think I can trust myself near a nursery.

A real man would move a dumptruck load.

"Where do you want it?" the dumptruck driver asked.

I'd just bought four cubic yards of dirt/compost. Ideally, I would have loved to have it inside the back fence, but we couldn't reach it. So the only real option was the gravel in front and to the left of the gate, or on the driveway itself.

"It would be easier to clean up on the driveway," the guy said.

"O.K. Let's do that." My car was in the garage, and I wasn't going to get it out unless I cleared away the dirt.

He backed up and started to pour the dirt, but I got one look at the size of the load and said -- "Whow. Hang on. I've changed my mind -- let's put it on the gravel."

"Are you sure? If you get it all done today, it won't be a problem...."

See -- I'm still not sure if he as kidding me. Calling out my manhood. But I started visualize how much dirt I was dealing with. (Later in the afternoon, after I did about 20 wheelbarrow loads full, I figured out that I was looking at about 20 shovel fulls of dirt per load, and about 75 loads altogether. Or 1500 shovel fulls.)

"Uh. I want to be able to, like you know, MOVE my body, tomorrow...."

Now that I'd seen what a cubic yard looked like, I thought to myself that I'd just buy a couple of cubic yards of gravel when I'm done, since the gravel has gotten pretty thin over the years. (By the way, I hate gravel as a solution, but I hate having to dig it all up even more...)

In the end, I managed to do move about a third of the dumpload, yesterday. I needed to not only move the soil, but also work it into the ground -- another bunch of shovel fulls -- and then put in the plants.

(I'm a great believer that you do one task at a time, and finish it....so you don't have a bunch of leftover refuse to deal with later. It's always more difficult to deal with later...)

Took me several hours -- but I covered the front garden beds with the new soil. I didn't work it into the soil as much as I probably should have, but I did dig it into the soil where I planted the flowers.

Sure enough, I could barely move last night. I'd get up from the couch -- or start to get up from the couch -- and groan and fall back. Then gather myself under myself and stand up.

I decided this year that I'd do no more than 3 or 4 hours of heavy lifting in any one day -- instead of burning myself out for weeks at a time. So that has worked really well -- it's enough time to get things accomplished and still be ready to do it again the next day.

I don't care if the guy thought I was a wimp. I woke up this morning just a little sore but also willing to tackle the rest of the dumpload.

(By the way, I realized this morning that the ideal solution would've been to move my car outside the load of dirt....duh. Damn.)

Monday mopes.

The thing about gardening in Bend, you can't let the weather stop you. Other than full on rain. Threat of rain? Clouds? Breeze? Slightly chilly?

Forget about it. Go garden.

**********

There are five long articles about bank heists over on Slate which are fascinating to me.

The jewelry heist in Bend?

I have a customer who is a policeman, and he seemed insulted when I said, "That's the kind of crime worth doing. Grab the jewelry and run."

"It's a major crime," he intoned.

Hell, I go the speed limit and stop at every light.

**********

The Affordable Housing Fee?

Despite my skepticism, in the end I think I would continue it. I buy the "leverage" argument; the matching funds from the feds.

And I like the irony of builders being put to work with this money, after it was the builders who complained about it.



**********

Sunday snippets.

Finally saw Fast Five.

I liked it, but it was slightly less believable than Thor.

**********

"Initiatives Look to Create a Business-Friendly Bend."

This sounds good, except I'm not sure the way the article is phrased as to whether they are actually making Bend more business-friendly or looking for ways to make Bend SEEM more business-friendly.

It's like everyone thinks that all problems can be solved by public relations.

"...revamp it's image..." "...no longer wants to be perceived..." "...wants to appear more friendly to businesses..." "...create more jobs...in part by marketing it as a good place to do business..."

But the substance of the changes seem pretty minimal. Hiring yet another consultant. Changing the format of an 'advisory' board.

Somehow it doesn't seem to add up to real change.

Just more spending or spending differently.

**********

The sun shines -- until I put on my gardening clothes. I gotta stop doing that!